SessKag- Not Alone
by SessKagShipper2003
Summary: After Sesshomaru saves Kagome from a swarm of Saimyosho, InuYasha's jealousy sparks a chain of events that lead to tragedy. Sesshomaru must help Kagome overcome InuYasha's tragedy as well as her own, and the constant threat of Naraku does little to help their situation. My first fanfiction, please don't judge too harshly. I don't own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi.
1. The mask flickers

I was exhausted when I sat down against the tree. I had been running from Naraku's insects all day, and I was so relieved when I finally lost them, that I payed no attension to where I was running, only that I was. So when I looked around and had no clue where I was, it was pretty terrifying. I had no idea that someone else was in the clearing. I sat there, trying to catch my breath, when all of a sudden, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Who's there?" I called.

Then he walked into the clearing. I recognized this man. Sesshomaru. The emotionless yet clearly annoyed expression that was usually on his face was gone. Now he just looked emotionless. Then he saw me. He looked surprised for a split second, and then he looked annoyed. He gave me his signature glare and walked away. I was shocked, every time I had met Sesshomaru in the past he had tried to kill me, so why didn't he this time?

Suddenly the insects were swarming around me, I screamed, and as I was reaching for my bow and arrows, a hand closed around my arm, and Sesshomaru pulled me out of the swarm, throwing me behind him before he drew his sword, leaping into the air and destroying every last insect. He turned to me, and opened his mouth to say something, but he was interupted by InuYasha, who had just appeared in the clearing.

"What are _you_ doing here? Stay away from Kagome!" he shouted, pulling me behind him.

"I am simply here to hunt Naraku, the fact that I ran into your miko was purely coincidence," Sesshomaru said coldly.

"Oh please, do you think I'm an idiot? I know you were trying to hurt her!"

InuYasha started to leap, so I did the only thing I could,"Sit boy!"

He flew toward the ground so fast that all I could see was a red and silver blur.

"What the hell was that for, you idiot?!" he shouted.

"Sesshomaru saved my life! Besides, he didn't do anything to you, at least not anything more than usual, all he's doing is standing there! Whereas you took his arm, not that it wasn't necesary, but _that_ is worth revenge! But is he attacking you? No, so just leave be!"

"I don't need your aid, Miko," Sesshomaru said. He was trying to act nonchalant, but I saw his mask flicker for a second, and his eyes were less cold than usual, maybe even the slightest bit warm.

"Sesshomaru, what are you planning?" InuYasha asked rudely.

"Do you really think that I spend all my time plotting against you? You flatter yourself." Sesshomaru said, his voice was cold and hard again. He whirled and was gone.


	2. REMORSE!

I of course headed strait to Kaede's, because I knew she could heal the stings. I told her that I was no longer traveling with InuYasha, and made her swear not to tell him, or the rest of the gang that I'd been here, only that I was fine, and to give Shippo the last of my candy. I was a little sad sure, but I was a bit happy to be away from InuYasha. I mean sure I liked him a bit, but he bugged me in a way that I didn't think was possible, and I hated it.

Suddenly, I saw a glimmer of white in the woods.

"Sesshomaru, I know you're there," I said.

He sighed and stepped out of the shadows, "If I had wanted to stay hidden, then I can assure you that you wouldn't have seen me."

"Well, I did, so you must have wanted me to," I said matter-of-factly.

Sesshomaru said nothing, but his mask flickered, just like it had when I had stopped the fight.

"So," he said, "I have heard it rumored that you are no longer traveling with the mutt, is this correct?"

The question startled me, so that I could only nod.

"I have also heard that I was the cause of the disagreement that lead to this development?" It was a statement, but he made it sound like a question.

"No," I said, "InuYasha was just being an idiot, it's not your fault."

"Be that as it may, I am still sorry that I have uprooted you from your friends."

"Oh- it's - uh - not your fault." I said, realizing that he was showing remorse!

"Goodbye Miko," he said suddenly, then walked out of the clearing, leaving me stunned at his sudden show of emotion.


	3. The accident

I didn't see Sesshomaru for a long time after that. I traveled from my era and back to the fuedal era a few times, but I spent most of my time at home, mostly because my Grandpa was running out of fake diseases to use. However, a few months after I left my friends, my mother and Grandpa were in a car crash. Sota went to live with some distant relative, but I made myself disappear, and I returned to the feudal era forever. I still had my shards with me though, and I wanted to get rid of them. I went to Kaede's hut, and stayed there for a while. I hadn't spoken since the accident.

InuYasha and my friends came to the hut two weeks after I did.

"Kagome!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo ran over and hugged me, but InuYasha took one look at me and stomped off in the other direction.

Sango must have noticed my silence, because she asked me, "Kagome, what's wrong?"

"She has suffered a great loss, and has been mute ever since. Perhaps ye can discover what has occurred," Kaede said, walking out leaning on her bow.

I just shook my head, I didn't want to talk to anyone, not even my friends.

Kaede sighed, "She signs enough to answer questions, but no more, I had hoped she would speak to ye, but it is for naught."

My friends stayed at Kaede's with me for a few days, but they had to go.

On the day they departed, I gave Shippo a pouch, with the shards inside, and signed to him that he must not tell InuYasha, and he agreed.

I left Kaede's hut that very night, because my job there was done. As I traveled, I thought a lot about Sesshomaru, and how strange he had acted. It was as if his composure, his mask as I referred to it, had been dropped almost completely.

One night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I realized that I liked Sesshomaru, and that I wanted to see him again.

Little did I know that I'd be seeing him sooner than I thought.


	4. He's drunk!

I was laying under a tree one night, when suddenly there was a sound in the woods, then InuYasha was leaning over me.

"Get up stupid."

I shook my head.

"I said get up!"

I shook my head harder and glared.

"Talk idiot."

I just looked at him, he knew that I didn't want to talk.

"If you don't talk, then I'll make ya talk."

I glared at him so angrily that he stared."

"Either get up or talk, you're doing one or the other."

I shook my head again, but then he yanked me up, wrenching my arm. That's when I smelled the alcohol. He smelled like he had gone swimming in it. For the first time in my life (okay the second time), I was afraid of InuYasha. I knew that he could do anything, and the alcohol would make him more likely to use extremes. My bow was on the other side of the clearing, and I couldn't run for it while he was holding my wrist.

"So," he slurred, "you gave Shippo the shards."

I gasped.

"And then you told him not to tell me."

I felt sick, if InuYasha was drunk, then there was no telling what he'd do to Shippo. I started thrashing, trying desperately to get away, but he held tight. Just as I thought I was done for, I saw a glint of white in the forest. It gave me courage, and filled me with a happiness Without thinking, I called his name.

"Sesshomaru!"

InuYasha threw me aside and drew his sword, whirling. And there he was, Sesshomaru stood in the clearing, his sword in his hand, his eyes glinting with anger.

I spoke again, "He's drunk!"

Sesshomaru nodded slightly, as if to show he had heard me, then jumped out of the way of InuYasha's sword, which stuck into the ground as InuYasha stumbled. He lurched toward me, but Sesshomaru jumped in between us, blocking my view. They struggled for a moment, then I saw Sesshomaru stiffen and fall, and something warm splattered on my face. I gasped as InuYasha laughed, then collapsed in a heap, all the alcohol and exertion catching up with him. I managed to tie him up to a tree and drag Sesshomaru away. I looked for injuries and found a long, deep gash across his chest.


	5. Wounded!

I did my best to patch up the wound, but Sesshomaru still bled heavily. By the time I got it bandaged, there was a small pool of blood gathering around him. I removed the bandage again and stitched him up with some thread from my bag. I cleaned the wound and put on a clean white bandage over it. I leaned him against a tree and laid his boa under his head. I lifted up his bangs and put a wet cloth on his forehead. His breath came in short gasps, and he looked even paler than normal. He was shaking, and his breathing was getting quicker.

Suddenly his eyes flew open and he gasped. His eyes flickered to me, then unfocused as he stared straight ahead. He gasped again, and I saw blood soaking through the bandage, the wound must have opened again.

"I can restitch it, but it'll hurt."

"I don't need it."

"You'll bleed to death."

He just shook his head.

I repeated, "You'll bleed to death Sesshomaru."

"I don't need you assistance Miko."

I rolled my eyes, "Sesshomaru, you're slowly bleeding to death, like it or not, you need my help."

"Mind your own business."

"I won't mind my own business, I will restitch that wound, and save your god damn life."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Very well, if not only to make you leave me alone."

I took the bandage off again and removed the thread, then restitched it while Sesshomaru gritted his teeth.

Once I was done I put a new bandage over the wound, then collapsed against a tree opposite him.

I watched him until his golden eyes closed, then I fell asleep too.


	6. Shippo returns!

I woke up to see Shippo leaning over me, battered and bruised.

"Shippo! What happened?"

"InuYasha found the shards, he tried to kill me, but I ran away, and I found you."

I hugged him close, he was like my own child, and I couldn't stand to see him hurt.

He peeked over my shoulder, "What happened to Sesshomaru?"

"It was InuYasha, he was drunk, and they were fighting, and-" my voice broke, and I couldn't go on.

Shippo seemed to realize something, "Hey, you're talking!"

"I just started last night."

I held Shippo close to me for a while, and then I saw Sesshomaru's eyes flutter open. Shippo hopped to my shoulder, and I walked over.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

He still looked frail, but his voice showed less signs of pain, "Better, I suppose, though I still do not see why you insisted on restitching the wound, I did not require your assistance."

I rolled my eyes, "What is it with men and pride?"

He smiled slightly, and I smiled back, but then he tried to move, and his smile turned into a grimace of pain.

I pulled aside his clothes, and, to my great horror, saw that the wound was now red and a swollen.

"Shippo, do you remember the herb I told you about, the one that cures infection?" I asked, without looking away from the wound.

"Uh-huh, why?"

"I need you to get some."

I absentmindedly acknowledged Shippo climbing off of my shoulder, but my eyes still didn't leave the wound.

Only after Shippo was gone did I look into Sesshomaru's eyes, "There's a good chance you won't survive this."

"I know."

"If you do survive, then you will probably need me to take care of you for a while."

This time he paused before repeating, "I know."

Suddenly, Shippo ran back, his arms full of herbs. I crushed them into a medicine, then handed it to Sesshomaru, "This will be pretty bitter, but you have to drink it all."

He nodded weakly, then drank the whole thing.

Suddenly, he blanched, then fell unconscious, which meant the medicine was working. I hadn't told him that it would knock him out, so I knew he'd be pretty mad when he woke up, but for now he was asleep, and wouldn't feel the pain for a bit.

Shippo and I put a blanket over him, then Shippo fell asleep in my arms, happy for the first time in months. Little did we know that our happiness was about to end, and end abruptly.


	7. The death of a half-demon!

(Quick disclaimer, a few or you have asked why Sesshomaru's wounds aren't healing, and why he needed Kagome's help, and why he isn't using his normal abilities. Sesshomaru couldn't fight InuYasha the first time because InuYasha was drunk, so he fought harder, with less self preservation. Also, sorry I haven't been posting new chapters for a few days.)

I had started to doze off, when I heard a sound, and when I sat up I saw InuYasha leaning over Sesshomaru, with his sword drawn. I acted without thinking, and jumped at him, knocking him over. I held him down for a total of two seconds, before he threw me off. I slammed into a tree, then slid to the ground. He stumbled toward Sesshomaru as I got shakily to my feet. Through blurred vision I saw InuYasha move. My vision cleared suddenly, and I saw InuYasha lift his hand, now covered in Sesshomaru's blood. Sesshomaru looked up at him, unable to move because of the medicine, then his eyes closed. I gasped, and started to shake, not with fear, but with rage. I grabbed my bow and notched an arrow. My hands shook as I pulled the arrow back. Tears filled my eyes, and I released it, whispering an enchantment over it. It flew, and went through InuYasha's chest. He gasped, and fell to his knees.

"Ka-kagome," he said, then collapsed, a small puddle of blood around him.

I sat down against a tree, and a sob escaped my lips. Sesshomaru eyes opened, and he looked at me. I didn't want him to see me like that, but I sobbed again in spite of myself. I was glad Shippo was asleep, so he didn't have to see me. I put my head in my hands and sobbed, my shoulders shaking. When I finally stopped crying, I tried to stand up. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw before I fainted was Sesshomaru, and the last thing I heard was his voice, "No!"

...

It was a struggle to wake up. It was like there was a barrier between me and the rest of the world, and I had to struggle through it like Jello. I got through it though, and the darkness around me started to fade. I saw Shippo leaning over me.

"Kagome, what happened?" he had tears running down his face , and I wanted to comfort him, but I could barely move.

"InuYasha, he -," I couldn't go on.

I tried to sit up, but everything spun around me, and I had to lie back down.

"Oh, Kagome, lie down, I'll get you some water."

I saw him walk out of the clearing, and I closed my eyes. I heard footsteps, and I opened my eyes. Sesshomaru sat beside me, and he looked down at me, with something in his eyes that I couldn't identify.

"You shouldn't be walking yet Sesshomaru," I said weakly.

He smiled down at me, and I smiled back.

His smile grew, and he said, "Rest."


	8. Hallucinations

I woke up alone. I was afraid, and then all my memories came rushing back. I had killed InuYasha. My stomach reacted before my head, and I threw up all over myself (sorry squeamish readers). I had _killed_ him. I got even more terrified when I realized that Shippo was with Sesshomaru.

"Is anyone there?" I called.

There was no reply, except for my own voice echoing. I felt weak, and I was still covered in puke. I needed to find Shippo, or at least get a bath, but I didn't think I could move.

"Shippo," I said weakly, "where are you?"

Tears flowed silently down my face, and through eyes blurred with tears, I saw a figure move in the the edge of my vision.

"You've made a mess of yourself again," I heard Sesshomaru say.

"Where's- Shippo?" I asked, my voice tired from all the shouting.

"With Rin and Jaken."

I nodded, and sat in silence while he cleaned my up (thank God he didn't take off my clothes).

Tears continued to stream down my face.

He sighed, "Why are you crying Miko?"

"I- I killed him."

"I assume you are speaking of the half-breed."

I could only nod, because now I was crying even harder. Suddenly, I screamed, my hand were covered in blood.

"What now?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Blood! There's blood on my hands!"

He sighed (again), "You hit your head when he threw you against that tree. You're just hallucinating."

A sob tore from my throat, even though I tried to stop it.

"It's his blood," I whispered.

"There is nothing on your hands Miko" he said, his voice kinder than I had ever heard it. I sobbed again, my eyes still blurred with tears.

"He tried to kill us both, Miko, you had no other choice," he said, a slight hint of exasperation in his usually emotionless voice.

"I know," I said softly, "but it still hurts."

He finished cleaning me up, and asked how my head felt.

"It's okay," I said, "but the rest of my body feels weak."

"That is probably because you haven't used them in the week you've been sleeping."

"A week?" I asked, amazed.

He nodded.

We were silent for a long time, until he asked me:

"I should most likely contact your family to let them know where you are.?" it sounded like a question, even though it wasn't worded like one.

"My family's dead, my brother's off with some relative, but I just came back here. That's why I gave Shippo my shards, to sever my ties with that world."

He was silent, probably didn't know what to say.

Finally, he broke the silence, "You should sleep."

So I did.


	9. Head injury

When I woke up, Sesshomaru was asleep on the ground to next to me. He stirred, and his arm brushed me in his sleep, he woke up, then jumped eight feet away, to the other side of the was a startled expression on his face for a split second, and then his mask was back in place.I giggled, and in turn, he gave me a glare that could freeze hell. However, that just made me laugh harder. This continued for a few minutes, him getting angry because I laughed, and me laughing harder as he got angry. Finally, I stopped laughing, and he slowly calmed down.

"Gosh, Sesshomaru, you act like you were sleeping right next to a weasel demon, instead of a few feet away from a girl," I told him, when I could speak again.

He was silent, but shot me a quick glare.

"I don't know why I'm taking care of you," he muttered under his breathe.

"Easy," I answered, "I've saved your life twice, and you've only saved mine once, you owe it to me."

He scowled, and I gave him an innocent smile.

"How's your chest Sesshomaru?"

"Healed."

"Really? That was quick."

"It was only to be expected, what with my heritage," he said in the most snobbish voice I had heard in my life.

My vision blurred suddenly, not because of tears, but probably because of my head injury.

"Everything is blurry," I announced.

"You have a head injury," Sesshomaru stated.

Part of me wanted to stick out my tongue, but seeing as I couldn't, you know, see, I decided it was a bad idea to anger him further.

"It's your fault, you know. If I hadn't been incapacitated by your medicine, then I could have killed the mutt myself."

"That medicine saved your life,"I pointed out.

"Yes, but it also ended up getting you a head injury," he reminded me, "and I've just now remembered that I have saved your life twice as well. I saved you from the saimyosho, and then from the mutt, which resulted in this wound," he said, a hand on his chest (probably, I still couldn't see anything).

"InuYasha," I said softly, my eyes welling with tears.

Sesshomaru looked off onto the horizon, while I tried my best not to cry. Finally I just hid my face in my hands and sobbed. All was silent, except for the sounds of my crying. Finally, I had cried myself out.

"It wasn't your fault," Sesshomaru said softly, surprising us both.

"But- he..."

"You had no choice in the matter."

I stopped arguing, and just watched the flowers move in the breeze.

Eventually I asked, "When can we go get Shippo?"

"As soon as you head injury is healed."

I nodded. I felt tired, but I didn't want to sleep was being nice to me, and I wanted to figure out why. It isn't something one can just ask a demon lord, but I wanted to find out.

"You know, you're acting differently Sesshomaru."

"Different from what?" he asked.

"Well, every time I've seen you in the past, you've tried to kill me."

"True enough."

"Why aren't you doing that now?"

"I don't kill without reason."

"And I suppose that if someone is a half demon, then that's a good reason."

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he was interrupted by a swarm of saimyosho. I covered my head and closed my eyes. When they opened again, the saimyosho were gone, and Sesshomaru stood with his sword drawn.

"You can go look for Naraku if you want to. I can take care of myself," I told him.

"No you can't," he said softly, and put his sword away.

"But-"

"Get some rest."

"Alright, I will."

And I did.


	10. No end!

(If you are squeamish you might want to skip this chapter. Here's a quick summary: She realizes that Naraku planned the events the led up to InuYasha's death, and vows to kill him. Right then she gets very sick, and Sesshomaru takes her to Kaede.)

I woke up alone once again. However, this time I felt completely better, like my head hadn't been hit at all. I looked around. I was in a different clearing now, and it was filled with flowers. I tried to sit up, but the world spun, and I had to lay back down. Sesshomaru walked into the clearing then, and he glanced over at me, before he opened a bag on the forest floor, and pulled out a pan and some ingredients. He made a fire, then sat with his back to me for a while. He came over to me a little while later with some food and a spoon. He handed it to me, and I ate it quickly, I had not realized how hungry I had been. He sat a few feet away from me, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He just stared off into the distance, with no emotion showing on his perfect face. I finished eating and decided to break the silence.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Three hours."

"Oh. Where are we?"

"We only moved a few miles, but I felt it was best to move farther from Naraku."

"Weren't you going to search for him."

"I can't take you with me, not in your condition, and I cannot leave you alone."

"But, isn't finding Naraku more important? InuYasha's d-" I stopped, "he's gone, and he was one of Naraku's major threats, that means he'll have one less threat to avoid. He doesn't need to work as hard to avoid detection, especially considering that you're here taking care of me."

He looked at me for a minute.

"You would make a good war strategist," he said finally.

I blushed pink and looked away. It was then that I saw it.

"Saimyosho!"

In the time it took for me to shout this, more appeared. I looked down, and watched Sesshomaru's feet, not wanting to look at his face, and definitely not wanting to look at the Saimyosho. It was Naraku, I realized. He'd planned the whole thing from the start. He'd planned the attack in the clearing, knowing that Sesshomaru would save me, and knowing that it would cause InuYasha and I to fight. He knew that InuYasha would fight Sesshomaru, and he knew it would kill one of them, if not both. In that moment I vowed to kill Naraku myself.

There was no warning. I screamed as a supernova exploded inside my brain. My hands flew to my temples and I screamed again. Everything spun, and I felt myself crumple into Sesshomaru, who had rushed over just in time to catch me.

"What is it now Miko?"

"My- head," I said through clenched teeth.

He set me down on the ground, then placed an icy hand on my forehead.

"You have a fever," he informed me.

I sobbed, the pain was too much for me. Then the visions started. I saw InuYasha, and then I saw it from his eyes. There I was. I saw the tears stream down my own face, and then I felt the arrow go through my chest.

"InuYasha!" I shouted.

The visions went on for hours, I saw him die, I replayed our fight, there was blood on my hands, the gash on Sesshomaru's chest, Shippo, battered and bruised. There was no end. I sobbed the whole time. I could tell Sesshomaru was there, but I couldn't hear or see him, so there was nothing he could have done to comfort me, not that he would have anyway. Finally, the darkness at the edge of my vision overpowered me, and I slept.

When I woke up, I saw Sesshomaru sitting near where I was laying. I wasn't thinking about that though, because my stomach was twisting and gurgling. I threw up all over myself, too weak to even move. He sighed and cleaned me up (as much as he could without taking off my clothes). My stomach wrenched, and I pushed him away weakly, before throwing up on myself again. I coughed weakly. Sesshomaru gave me a pitying look.

"You don't have to do this," I said weakly.

He stayed silent.

"I know you don't want to."

He took off his outer kimono and wrapped me up in it. He smelled like roses. He held me to his chest and carried me away. I threw up on him a few times, but he never stopped, just sped up. I started to recognize my surroundings.

"The Forest of InuYasha," I said, and then threw up on him again.

His brow furrowed, and he ran faster. He brought me to Kaede's ignoring the strange looks he got from the villagers.

Kaede gasped and prepared a bed for me, and Sesshomaru was still holding onto me. I threw up on him again, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It can't be helped Miko."

He set me down on the bed Kaede had prepared. She gave me a bucket to throw up in, and forced some medicine down my throat. The medicine knocked me out immediately. That night I dreamed of the scent of roses.


	11. Infected wounds?

When I woke up I was startled to see a roof over my head, until I remembered where I was. Sesshomaru slept against the wall, in a position similar to how InuYasha used to sleep. It didn't make me sad though, it made me feel happy. As I watched him sleep I realized how similar the two were. Their hair was the same color, their eyes too. They both liked me, or were at least my friends. They both took care of had similar goals, like defeating Naraku, or getting more powerful. I noticed differences too.

InuYasha had been rough, and was quick to get annoyed, while Sesshomaru was quiet and reserved. InuYasha looked more normal, while Sesshomaru look pale and perfect and porcelain, while still managing to look powerful.

I realized that my stomach was starting to hurt, and I reached for my stomach twisted, and I threw up into the bucket. When I looked up, Sesshomaru was watching me with an expression on his face that was a mix of pity and sadness. I smiled weakly.

"Miko. What are you doing awake?"

"Puking. That's it really."

The mask flickered.

"What's wrong with me anyway?" I asked him.

"The priestess says it is a disease caused by grief, fear, and regret, long term, mixed with infected wounds."

"Wounds?"

"She claims that you have an injury."

I tried to sit up but I winced.

"Show me your back."

I lifted up the back of my shirt, and showed him an almost healed cut.

"What happened here?"

"It was when InuYasha threw me against the tree that night. It stopped hurting, so I never though to mention it."

He went silent. I shoved him out of the way as my stomach wrenched, and I just barely made it to my bucket in time. I coughed weakly, and felt lightheaded. I lied back down on my bed, and looked at Sesshomaru out of the corner of my eye. This went on for a few hours, the little bit of conversation I managed to start interrupted by my vomiting. Kaede woke up, and looked at the wound on my back. She told me that the medicine had worked, but that I would still be sick for a few more days, then she went out to run some errands.

"So," I asked Sesshomaru, "shouldn't we tell Rin, Jaken, and Shippo where we are?"

He nodded, "I can go now, but are you sure you will be alright on your own?"

Our conversation was interrupted by Kaede rushing in and preparing another cot. A man followed carrying two small bodies. One with a ponytail on the side of her head, and another with a fox tail. Sesshomaru was next to Rin in the blink of an eye, and I was over to Shippo almost as fast. My eyes brimmed with tears when I saw long cut on his arm. Rin was passed out, but she had no wounds that I could see. A sob tore from my throat before I could stop it, and Sesshomaru was paler than normal, with an odd look on his face. Suddenly, my stomach churned, and I nearly leapt across the room to my bucket. Sesshomaru was by my side in a flash, with a concerned look on his porcelain features. Again I smelled the faint rose scent.

"I'll be fine, Rin needs you," I said weakly.

He looked conflicted for a minute, before going back over to Rin slowly. Everyone was silent for a while, and then Rin woke up.

"Lord- Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, "What happened Rin? Where is Jaken?"

"Master Jaken was looking for berries, and we were attacked while he was gone. It cut Shippo, and I was unconscious. Shippo must've told the man who saved us to come here."

"What attacked you?"

"A demon, or at least I think so."

She went silent, and then she looked at Shippo, "Is he gonna be all right Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I don't know," he told her.

Then he became distracted when I threw up again. He was by my side before I had even finished. This time I let him stay by my side, instead of going back to Rin. I got dizzy, and I crumpled into his arms. I stayed there for a while, but then I shoved him away when I felt my stomach clench. I put my head on my pillow.

"Promise to wake me up when Shippo wakes up?"

He nodded, and moved so he sat right near my bed. I fell asleep with that now-familiar scent of roses.


	12. Explanations and apologies

I woke up with Sesshomaru shaking my shoulder.

"Is he awake?" was the first thing I said.

He nodded, and helped me over to where Shippo was laying, his eyes open now.

"Kagome! What happened? I can't remember."

"You got hurt Shippo, you were protecting Rin and you got hurt."

"Kagome, you look funny. Why's your face so red?"

"I've got a fever Shippo, I got sick," I explained.

My stomach lurched, "Uh, Sesshomaru? I'm gonna need-"

I must have looked pretty green, because he understood immediately, and rushed me to my bucket.

Shippo looked worried, and I wanted to console him, but I was busy trying not to puke on Sesshomaru. When I was done, I looked so pale that Sesshomaru forced me to lay down.

Shippo fell asleep again, and Sesshomaru was leaning against the wall a few feet away from me.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Before I got sick- I asked you why you hated InuYasha so much, you never answered me."

He looked off into the still-glowing embers of last night's fire, "I believe what you originally asked was why I wanted to kill him, but never the less, I will answer both see, our father married my mother first. My mother loved him with all of her being, and she believed that he loved her in return. After they were married, I was born, and we were happy, but our happiness was short-lived. When I was but a child, he fell in love with the lady of a castle, InuYasha's mother. Soon after, InuYasha was born, and my father spent most of his time with them. He left my mother and I alone. When he died- it tore my mother apart. I know that it wasn't the half-breed's fault, but I hated him, because our father's blood flowed in him, as well as myself."

He had a look of genuine sadness on his face, and I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know what to say, so I reached out and took his hand. Shock replaced the sadness on his face, and he started to pull away, but then he stopped. He seemed like he couldn't decide what to say, whether to get angry, or to just let it happen.

I took his empty sleeve in my other hand, "I'm sorry about this. It's my fault, if I hadn't pulled out the Tetsusaiga, then it wouldn't have happened."

"It happened the way it was meant to," he told me quietly.

I layed in silence for a while, never letting go of his hand, until I threw up again. This time I was too weak to make it to my bucket, and I threw up all over myself.

"I am beginning to fear that the priestess has given you an inaccurate diagnosis," he told me.

I could only nod, afraid to open my mouth, because if I did, I knew I'd throw up again. He put a hand to my forehead, and told me that I was burning up. I threw up again, and this time he helped me to the bucket, and held my hair up out of my face. Around noon my headache returned, and the pain was unbearable. Tears streamed down my face, and it didn't help the I threw up every time I opened my mouth. The fever dreams returned as well, and I sobbed, and screamed for InuYasha and Sesshomaru, my mother and my grandpa, sometimes even my father, who had died right before Sota was born. Sesshomaru did all he could to help, giving me water, putting on cold compresses, but nothing helped. Finally, the pain was too much and I passed out.


	13. Roses

[Sorry it's a short chapter. I'm sick :( ]

I woke up feeling much better. My stomach ache was gone, and though I felt a tad dizzy, I felt almost completely fine. I looked around and saw Sesshomaru gazing, emotionless, toward me. I sat up, and he lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing. I wanted to stand, but I knew I couldn't do it myself, and it would be embarrassing if Sesshomaru helped me, so I resigned myself to sitting up. My stomach growled, and, as if on cue, Sesshomaru got up and went to the fire. He poured a bowl of broth, and handed it to me.

"Thank you so much," I said, "I'm starving."

The wind blew in through the open window, and I caught the scent of roses. Before the events of the past few months, I'd never been close enough to smell it, but now that stubborn aroma followed me everywhere. I didn't mind.

He took the bowl when I had finished sipping it, and he refilled it. I drank that broth too,and by the time I had finished it all, the sun had risen higher in the sky, and Kaede had gone out to get some medicines. Sesshomaru and I were alone. I gazed at him, wondering why he had stayed with me, instead of going off with Rin and Jaken.

"Is there something you wish to say Miko?" he asked me.

"Do you know you smell like roses?" I blurted, before clapping a hand over my mouth.

The corners of his mouth twitched, and then he smiled. Finally, though he seemed not to want to, he chuckled softly.

"I was not aware of that fact," he said finally, through a smile.

I felt me cheeks warming, but I didn't mind.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

I shook my was something I wanted to tell him, but I was waiting for the perfect moment.

I was going to tell him how I felt.


	14. It's not over!

(I'm off school for a few weeks so hopefully I'll be able to update regularly. Also, sorry for any spelling mistakes, I wrote this at like 11 at night, so I'm a little tired.)

I tried to tell him how I felt, really I did, but the time was never right. It didn't help that I was still too shaky to walk without assistance, so he had to help me everywhere. When I finally was able to walk correctly, I tried to get him alone, so I could tell him without it being awkward, but I never could. Once Kaede determined that I was well enough to leave, we walked together for a while, but then he went to get Rin and Shippo, and we weren't alone together for a while. We traveled towards the Western Lands, toward Sesshomaru's palace and to find Jaken. Occasionally, Sesshomaru would catch his scent, but it crossed over itself so many times that he lost it regularly.

We stopped and set up camp one night, and Sesshomaru seemed on edge.

"Stand back," he said. Shippo and Rin backed up quickly, but I grabbed my bow and arrows and went to stand beside him.

We heard a low, evil laugh coming from all around us, and I shuddered. It was Naraku. Fury filled my entire body, and I could feel my senses expanding, every muscle in my body tense. I had to kill him.

"Duck!" the word left my mouth before I even knew I was saying it, and Sesshomaru and I hit the ground just as one of Naraku's tentacles hit the spot where we'd been only seconds before.

"So Kagome," Naraku said, "you're learning to expand your senses. I'm surprised. You sensed me before Sesshomaru."

"I'll kill you, you bastard!" I shouted, "It's all your fault, all of it!"

Sesshomaru glanced at me, but then we were separated by another tentacle, which we both managed to avoid. I notched an arrow and shot, and it flew straight through both tentacles, which disintegrated.

"It won't work Kagome," Naraku's voice said.

I closed my eyes, expanding my senses, trying to find him. Just as I found him, I went flying. A tentacle had hit right where I'd been standing, and Sesshomaru had pushed me out of the way. When I landed, I notched an arrow and sent it to where I had sensed Naraku. I heard it hit, and then Naraku and the tentacles that were stuck in the ground disappeared, leaving behind the words _It's not over._


	15. Hope

(Sorry for not updating in a while, but this chapter was so intense, and complicated to write. Enjoy!)

I dropped to my knees. I _needed_ to kill Naraku, like I needed food and water. InuYasha had always protected me from everything, and while it was true that I probably needed the protection, now I wasn't powerful enough to fight Naraku, or pretty much anything. I got to my feet, feeling a little shaky. Sesshomaru walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder, as if he had sensed that I needed support.

"Are you injured?" he asked me.

"I'll be fine. You?"

"I am unharmed as well."

"You're lying to me," I said softly.

"I have a small wound on my shoulder, however with that one exception, I am unscathed."

I looked at his shoulder, "Sesshomaru, it's practically oozing miasma."

"I can take it. Full demons such as myself are not as weak as humans such as you."

I rolled my eyes, but he seemed entirely serious.

"Let me purify it or something," I said.

"I will not allow a weak human such as yourself 'heal' me," he said coldly.

I felt the blood rush to my face, "I was just trying to help you! But you can't think past your stupid pride, and you won't let anyone near you, even if they could have helped! Your such an idiot! You're worse than InuYa-"

He held me up by my throat, his face a mask of fury, "I am nothing like that half-breed. Nothing."

Each softly spoken word was laced with anger. Shippo and Rin looked on, terrified. I think he would have been less terrifying if he had yelled, but when he spoke softly like that, I felt like I should have been running for the hills.

I kept up a confident act, "Put me down. I'm warning you!"

It probably would've worked better if my voice hadn't sounded like someone had poured glass shards down my throat. I reached up and dug my fingernails into the hand that was wrapped around it, and I did that until I could feel blood on my fingers, though I didn't know if it was his or mine. He looked at his hand, with an odd expression on his face. I knew that if I chose to fight Sesshomaru, then I would be dead in seconds. He had incredible abilities, as well as experience on his side. I made up my mind then.

I brought my knee up, and hit him in the chest. Shock flickered across his face for a second, then anger replaced it. I kicked and thrashed, my fingernails, now covered with his blood, felt like I had been holding them there for hours. My head began to spin, and my legs felt like lead, so I stopped struggling. I was running out of air, I knew that if I didn't do anything, that I would pass out, or even die, depending on how long he strangled me.

"Put me down!" I shouted, and called him every name I could think of, not caring about the fact that there were children nearby.

He didn't even react, except to lift me higher.

"Stop it!" I heard Shippo shout.

"Shippo- stay out of it," I managed.

A darkness appeared at the edge of my vision, and I could feel a numbness spreading from my feet and up my legs. My hands went numb, and dropped away from his.

"Sesshomaru, you're killing her!" I vaguely heard Shippo shout.

The anger flooded from his face, and was replaced by horror and guilt. He dropped me, and I landed on my knees, still conscious, but only barely.

"You'll pay for that," I told him angrily, but I felt tears brimming up in my eyes. He said nothing, and I watched him as he looked down at the marks on his hands, which were shaking.

"I-" he said, seeming to be speechless.

Shippo ran up behind me and hugged me, shaking almost as hard as Sesshomaru, and Rin stayed where she was, one hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. I closed my eyes as tears escaped. I took a shaky breath, and tried not to sob.

I heard him moan, and I opened my eyes to see him standing with his hand over his own eyes, looking even paler than normal.

I felt my anger start to fade, but only slightly.

Suddenly, I saw another face in the place of Sesshomaru, InuYasha's face, after he had almost killed me in his demon form.

A sob escaped my lips, as I pictured InuYasha as he had looked when I killed him, in that moment right before his death, he had seemed to realize what he'd done. The way he had looked at me, the way he said my name. I had betrayed him, just like Kikyo had, all those years ago.

I wasn't crying for me. I was crying for InuYasha, and for Sesshomaru, and for my family, all the people I cared about, and who suffered so much for me.

InuYasha, who I'd killed to save my own life. Sesshomaru, who took care of me for the long weeks when I was sick, and who now looked as if he was doubting his whole life. Finally my family, who had let me go to the feudal era, even though they knew I could have died, because they knew it made me happy.

I stood up, a little shakily, and walked over to Sesshomaru. He dropped his hand, and looked at me with an expression that I couldn't interpret. I stood there for a minute, and as he opened his mouth to tell me something (I never found out what he had been trying to tell me), I flung my arms around his neck and sobbed. He seemed as if he was going to pull away, but as I sobbed, he eventually relaxed, and put his arm around me. As I breathed in that oh-so-familiar scent of roses, I felt all of my fears melt away, along with my guilt and sadness. When he finally pulled away, I saw something different in his face, and I felt hope for the first time in months.


	16. Sesshomaru Apologizes!

(Sorry for inconsistency, but from now on Rin will refer to herself in the third is a very very emotional chapter, just because the characters themselves are feeling emotions. Please review and enjoy!)

When everyone had calmed down, Sesshomaru finally allowed me to purify the miasma. I was very careful to avoid purifying _him_ , and when I finished, I was exhausted.

"That was harder than I thought," I muttered to myself.

I glanced over at Sesshomaru, and caught him looking at me.

"What?" I asked, but he just shook his head.

"Nothing."

"All right then," I said, too tired to argue. I grabbed my sleeping bag and laid down, not intending to fall asleep, so naturally I did.

Sesshomaru woke me up a few hours later, saying it was time to go, and that the fight with Naraku had wasted too much time for me to be sleeping. I found a hand mirror in my bag and examined the bruises on my neck. I decided to put a scarf on, despite the fact that it was midsummer.

I felt Sesshomaru watching me, but I ignored him. I knew he felt bad about what he had done, but I didn't expect him to apologize, so I just wanted to forget the whole thing. Shippo hopped onto my shoulder (he was still angry at Sesshomaru), and glared at Sesshomaru, not daring to say anything.

"Are you prepared to leave Miko?"

I nodded and slipped my bag over my shoulder.

I watched Rin as we walked, the way she looked at Sesshomaru, and the way she looked at me. She clearly was upset about something, maybe what had happened earlier. _No,_ I thought, _She travels with Sesshomaru for crying out loud. Nothing could scare her._ Still though, I was curious.

...

When we stopped to make camp that night, Rin was playing with Shippo, but she seemed worried still. I asked her about it when Sesshomaru was getting dinner and Shippo was looking for herbs.

"What's wrong Rin?"

"Rin is a little worried about Sesshomaru-Sama, that's all. He looked very upset, and Rin wants him to feel better."

"How come, Rin?"

"Sesshomaru-Sama has taken care of Rin for a long time. Rin wants him to be happy. Rin thinks that Sesshomaru-Sama likes you a lot Kagome."

I blushed and said nothing.

At that exact moment, Shippo came running back, with Sesshomaru walking in from the other side of the clearing. Without a word he started a fire and cooked the deer he had killed. Shippo hopped up on my shoulder and hugged me.

"The food is ready," Sesshomaru told us.

We all got our food, and I noticed for the first time how close Rin was sitting with Sesshomaru. There was some serious hero worship going on there.

 _Well,_ I thought, _he_ did _save her life._

The weird thing was that, though I knew it wasn't like that with them, Rin, a little _kid,_ was making me jealous.

Absently, I put my plate, now empty, to the side, and got up. I rolled out my sleeping bag and layed down, unwinding my scarf from my neck in the process. I closed my eyes and tossed the scarf toward my bag. I listened for the sound of the scarf hitting the ground, but it never did. I opened my eyes to see Sesshomaru sitting and holding it. He looked at it with such pure pain on his face that I felt it too.

I got up and walked over to him. Shippo and Rin both tried so hard to hide the fact that they were watching that it made it even more obvious.

"I'm not mad at you ya' know."

He said nothing. I decided to try something. I sat next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. He reacted only slightly, seeming to thaw a bit. I breathed in the smell of roses, and he sighed, showing, in a rare moment of feeling, that he was also enjoying this.

"Miko, you have no clue how utterly scum-like I feel at this moment," he said, in way of an apology.

"I'll be fine Sesshomaru. I promise."

He and I stayed silent, until, finally, I drifted off laying against his chest


	17. First Kiss!

(Hey guys. I back to school again, so I might not be able to update as much now. I wrote this on a different format, so I don't have spellcheck (sorry). As always, please review and enjoy! Without further ado, the KISS SCENE!)

When I woke up, I didn't want to open my eyes. I was laying against something warm, and I had a blanket over me.

 _Warm?_ I thought.

I gasped as the memories of last night came rushing back.

 _That's right. He_ apologized.

I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes, trying not to wake Sesshomaru, so naturally I did. He didn't have the same reaction as last time (see chapter 9), instead he said, "Good Morning." in a sleep-deepened voice.

"Morning," I replied, and breathed in the smell of roses.

Later, Rin and Shippo were out fishing, and Sesshomaru asked to talk to me.

"What's up?"

"I-I only wish to tell you how immensely sorry I am."

"Sesshomaru, I'm not mad. I promise."

"Can you ever forgive me?"

I decided there was only one way to make sure he knew. I closed the distance between us and put my arms around him.

"I have no idea how you are capable of forgiving such a terrible-"

He was interrupted when I pressed my lips softly to his. He gasped, but then he started to kiss me back. I felt his hand in my hair, and I sighed. When he finally pulled away, it was to say, "They are on their way back now."

I nodded, suddenly very aware of what I had just done. He had kissed me back, sure, but had I just made everything awkward?


	18. The Mask Crumbles

For the rest of that day, neither Sesshomaru or I said anything about the kiss. However, as I walked past him on my way to bed, he grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me into an embrace. He placed a kiss on my forehead and released me. It was as if the mask had finally fallen away completely.

I layed down in my sleeping bag and looked up at the stars, winking into view one by one.

Sesshomaru laid next to me, and we both knew that Shippo and Rin were watching us, but neither of us cared. He put an arm around my shoulder, and we watched the stars together.

"You realize that Naraku can use us to hurt each other now?"

"Of course I realize that. However, if he thinks I will allow him to get anywhere near you, he is mistaken."

...

"Oh, you think so?" we heard Naraku's deep voice say.

We jumped to our feet as Shippo and Rin scrambled to hide. Naraku appeared then, standing between me and my bow. Sesshomaru reached for his sword, but right as he did, Naraku used one of his tentacles to grab Shippo.

I heard Sesshomaru utter a very inhuman growl as he slowly moved his hand away from his sword.

"Distract him," I whispered.

He raised an eyebrow, "You think I would- Miko? Were you paying even the slightest bit of attention to what I said, _mere moments ago_? I said I wouldn't allow him near you. Tho opposite is true as well."

"Sesshomaru, purifying power is the only thing that'll work!"

"You do know that I can hear you, correct?" Naraku hissed tauntingly.

My voice dropped even lower, "Make him drop Shippo, and while he's distracted, I'll get my bow."

He nodded.

"Now!" I shouted.

Sesshomaru and I leaped simultaneously. Sesshomaru cut off the tentacle that had been holding Shippo with his claws, and I dived for my bow. My fingers brushed the smooth wood of the bow, and then I felt a tentacle wrap around my waist.

I cried out as I was pulled away from the bow, my fingers closing on air. Naraku held me by my neck.

 _No! I don't want to die!_

In those few months after the accident, I had wanted to die. But now, I realized, I needed to live. Not just for me, but for Sesshomaru and Shippo, as well as Rin.

I felt a single tear escape my eye, and then it all went black.


	19. Suprise!

(Hey guys, just want to let you know that there are only going to be a few more chapters. I also decided that my next story will be a gender-bender. Please review and enjoy!)

When my eyes fluttered open I saw Sesshomaru kneeling next to me. We were in the same clearing as before, but Naraku was gone.

"Where's Naraku?" I asked, my voice scratchy.

"I managed to defeat him for now, but he'll be back."

He had a cut across his cheek. It fell vertically over both of the stripes on the right side of his face. I reached up and wiped the blood away. He held my hand there for a minute, but then we went to check on Shippo, who was fine, but a little shaken.

"Kagome!" he said, jumping into my arms with so much force that I had to put out a hand to steady myself.

"Shh, it'll be okay Shippo," I murmured softly.

Shippo told me the whole story from the time I had passed out. He said that Sesshomaru got so mad at Naraku that his eyes flashed red.

 _He got that mad?_ I thought.

"So then Sesshomaru and Naraku were fighting, and Naraku threw him, that's how he got the cut, and then..."

I let Shippo's voice fade to a dull hum as I looked at the blood on my hands. It was real this time, the blood I had wiped from Sesshomaru's face. Although I wasn't screaming like last time, the blood terrified me.

 _Oh no,_ I thought, _am I gonna be afraid of blood for the rest of my life?_

 _Probably._

"Kagome? Are you listening to me?" Shippo said, shocking me back to reality.

"Sorry Shippo," I said, "I guess I got a little distracted."

He rolled his eyes and ran off to play with Rin.

I got up and walked down a trail toward the sound of running water, hoping to find a place to wash the blood off of my hands. Sesshomaru started to follow, but I waved him off.

When I finally got to the river, I knelt down and watched the red tainted water flow away from me. I got up and turned to head back for camp. However, a familiar figure blocked my way. One with a ponytail, and two feathers in her hair. One with dark hair and crimson eyes.

 _No, Naraku wouldn't attack so close together. It's not practical._

"Kagura?" I said aloud.

"Surprise."


	20. The end?

(It's the last chapter! *cries* I'll write an epilogue next. Enjoy!)

I felt a trill of fear go through me.

 _Kagura?_ I thought.

Without a word she grabbed me and we flew through the air on her feather. I struggled only briefly, before realizing that if I fell from the feather I'd most likely die.

"What does Naraku want with me?"

She hesitated, "He didn't tell me."

I stayed silent after that, until we landed at Naraku's castle. It smelled like miasma and death.

 _He'll be dead when I finish with him,_ I thought, my fear replaced with anger as I remembered what he had done to InuYasha.\

"Well Kagome," said his deep baritone from the shadows, "so kind of you to join me."

As he stepped from the shadows I sensed it's presence.

"No! How did you complete the jewel? What about my shards?"

"You're shards were simple to find," he said scornfully, "You see, after InuYasha took them from the Kitsune, he abandoned them to go after you. The Kitsune ran, and they both left them laying on the forest floor. I suppose Sake made him stupider than usual."

"Does that mean-"

"Yes. I killed Kohaku weeks ago," he said, sneering.

I choked back tears.

 _Poor Sango! But the jewel is whole now. I can defeat him!_

Kagura took me over to Naraku.

...

I knew then what I had to do, even if I died in the process.

 _..._

 _Think this through Kagome, you could die, and if it doesn't work you'll die for nothing!_ Said a voice in my head.

"I don't care!" I shouted, purifying energy flowing through my body.

Kagura leaped away from me, her hands steaming where they had touched me. I felt the purifying energy leave my body, and I watched it hit Naraku, purifying him, along with the jewel. Naraku slipped away, and I saw the thief Onigumo.

"Kikyo!" he shouted, and then he disappeared too.

I vaguely noticed Kagura gasp and put a hand to her chest.

 _She's free now._

The pink glow coming from my hands ceased, my legs gave out, and my vision blurred. Through my blurred vision I saw someone kneeling over me, he was wearing white, and his hair seemed silver.

 _An angel... No..._

"Sesshomaru...?"

"Yes. I'm right here. What happened?"

"I purified him... But it came at the expense of my energy. I might die," I said, my voice weak and quiet.

"If- when you survive this, will you do me the honor- Will you be my mate?" He asked, the last part said in a rush.

I nodded weakly, before passing out cold.

When I woke up, I heard Shippo and Rin sobbing.

"Hey..." I said, a small smile on my face, "I'm fine. Don't cry."

They both gasped and rushed over to me.

"Kagome!" Shippo shouted and jumped on me. I sat up and looked around, with Shippo still in my arms. Sesshomaru looked over at me and smiled.

 _Finally... Finally, after all this time, I'm not alone._

(Pretty cheesy ending, I know but I wanted to incorporate the title in there somewhere. I'll post the epilogue soon. Please REVIEW!)


	21. Epilogue

(The epilogue will be told from third person point of view. Enjoy!)

True to her word, Kagome mated Sesshomaru within days of the final battle. They had many children, and while Kagome never really got over InuYasha, when she slept next to Sesshomaru, she never had another nightmare. They lived their lives in a small house in the forest of InuYasha, and they frequently took their children to the sacred tree. Kagome never got over her fear of blood though.

Sango and Miroku got married, settled down in Kaede's village, and had ten children, just like Miroku asked for (Miroku's most dangerous confession). Sango found Kohaku and gave him a proper burial in her village, right beside their father. Sango and Kagome remained friends their whole lives. Miroku earned money for his family as an exorcist.

While they were children, Shippo and Rin lived with Kagome and Sesshomaru. Once they got older, they got married and lived in the forest where Shippo had lived with his father.

Jaken was never found. Kagome thought that he was hiding from Sesshomaru because he failed to protect Rin.

Koga was infuriated to find out that Kagome had mated, but he eventually mated to Ayame and became chief of the entire wolf-demon tribe.

Kagura and Kanna were never found, but they were last seen together, running away from the battlefield.

Sota never saw Kagome again after the accident, but he went back to Tokyo after high-school, and married his girlfriend from elementary school.

(It's the end! Please review! My next fic will be Kane chronicles, but I'll write more SessKag eventually. ;) Byeeee!)


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